Rail connection Agen to Chamonix
Dec 14th, 2008, 11:41 AM
#1
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Rail connection Agen to Chamonix
I am having difficulty identifying the correct rail station for Chamonix. When I use the SNCF website, the response is I can't get to Chamonix or St. Gervais from Agen. I know 25 years ago I took a train from Lyon to Chamonix.
My question: What town should I put in the destination selection when I travel from Agen to Chamonix. I know that I will need to use TER and TGV.
merci, Julie
My question: What town should I put in the destination selection when I travel from Agen to Chamonix. I know that I will need to use TER and TGV.
merci, Julie
Dec 14th, 2008, 12:29 PM
#2
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Please ignore this post..I found some helpful information on
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/
I'm starting another thread with a follow-up topic.
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/
I'm starting another thread with a follow-up topic.
Dec 14th, 2008, 12:42 PM
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Julie, I have found the Swiss rail site to be the most user-friendly of all. It covers other countries as well.
www.rail.ch (in English)
www.sbb.ch (for German, French, or English)
www.rail.ch (in English)
www.sbb.ch (for German, French, or English)
Dec 14th, 2008, 01:20 PM
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Hi Julie,
Tough one. There is no decent connection from Agen to Chamonix by train according to bahn.de, and the most logical option, flying from Toulouse to Geneva on Fly Baboo doesn't work due to the flight's early morning departure, making it impossible for you to reach the airport by public transportation on time.
The only halfway acceptable and affordable option I can come up with to make the journey in a single day involves the following steps:
1)Train from Agen to Bordeaux
In the current schedule, this would be the 9h50 TER service, arriving at Bordeaux St. Jean station at 11:14.
Cost: EUR 19.30, can be purchased at any time, no reservations possible.
2) Take the "Jet'Bus" shuttle to Bordeaux airport, leaving from the station at 11:30, arriving at the airport around 12:15.
Cost: EUR 7
3) Take Fly Baboo from Bordeaux to Geneva, departing at 15:05 and arriving in Geneva at 16:20, according to the schedule currently posted. However a test booking for June showed slightly earlier times, with a departure at 14:40 and an arrival at 15:55. Prices for June are currently EUR 50 all in!! So a real bargain, you do need to book such a fare ASAP however.
www.flybaboo.com
4) A bus leaves Geneva airport - Swiss side - at 17:30, arriving in Chamonix at 19:25, at least this was the case last summmer... In the wintertime, service is far more frequent and you will have no trouble making it to Chamonix on the same day. Cost is EUR 35 one way / EUR 55 return, schedules are available here:
http://www.chamonix.com/page.php?pag..._s&ling=en
You can book your bus ticket here (for the time being, only the winter schedule can be booked):
http://www.sat-montblanc.com/index.aspx
Pre-booked tickets on the site cannot be refunded or modified... I assume the bus company is halfway lenient in case of delayed flights however.
There is a definite possibility that you will need to overnight in Geneva if you take this trip in the summertime, this is not a big deal though, you should be able to make a flexible backup booking at a hotel near the airport or the bus station in town that can be cancelled before 18:00 on the day of arrival without a problem.
Hope this helps,
Andre
Tough one. There is no decent connection from Agen to Chamonix by train according to bahn.de, and the most logical option, flying from Toulouse to Geneva on Fly Baboo doesn't work due to the flight's early morning departure, making it impossible for you to reach the airport by public transportation on time.
The only halfway acceptable and affordable option I can come up with to make the journey in a single day involves the following steps:
1)Train from Agen to Bordeaux
In the current schedule, this would be the 9h50 TER service, arriving at Bordeaux St. Jean station at 11:14.
Cost: EUR 19.30, can be purchased at any time, no reservations possible.
2) Take the "Jet'Bus" shuttle to Bordeaux airport, leaving from the station at 11:30, arriving at the airport around 12:15.
Cost: EUR 7
3) Take Fly Baboo from Bordeaux to Geneva, departing at 15:05 and arriving in Geneva at 16:20, according to the schedule currently posted. However a test booking for June showed slightly earlier times, with a departure at 14:40 and an arrival at 15:55. Prices for June are currently EUR 50 all in!! So a real bargain, you do need to book such a fare ASAP however.
www.flybaboo.com
4) A bus leaves Geneva airport - Swiss side - at 17:30, arriving in Chamonix at 19:25, at least this was the case last summmer... In the wintertime, service is far more frequent and you will have no trouble making it to Chamonix on the same day. Cost is EUR 35 one way / EUR 55 return, schedules are available here:
http://www.chamonix.com/page.php?pag..._s&ling=en
You can book your bus ticket here (for the time being, only the winter schedule can be booked):
http://www.sat-montblanc.com/index.aspx
Pre-booked tickets on the site cannot be refunded or modified... I assume the bus company is halfway lenient in case of delayed flights however.
There is a definite possibility that you will need to overnight in Geneva if you take this trip in the summertime, this is not a big deal though, you should be able to make a flexible backup booking at a hotel near the airport or the bus station in town that can be cancelled before 18:00 on the day of arrival without a problem.
Hope this helps,
Andre
Dec 14th, 2008, 01:36 PM
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Enzian, great website tip. Thanks!
Andre and others, simple is the name of the game for us. Whereas the routing you suggested gets us to Chamonix it seems like TOO MUCH hullabaloo!
Therefore the question, as I posed on the follow-up thread....
How would you get from Lectoure or Agen to Chamonix using public transport? I'll gladly all read opinions but look forward to a new idea/suggestion of a midway layover, e.g. a village where you had an unexpected meal, an unknown historical treasure, etc.
Andre and others, simple is the name of the game for us. Whereas the routing you suggested gets us to Chamonix it seems like TOO MUCH hullabaloo!
Therefore the question, as I posed on the follow-up thread....
How would you get from Lectoure or Agen to Chamonix using public transport? I'll gladly all read opinions but look forward to a new idea/suggestion of a midway layover, e.g. a village where you had an unexpected meal, an unknown historical treasure, etc.
Dec 14th, 2008, 01:56 PM
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Well, playing with bahn.de some more, I did finally notice a very early connection at 6:46 with only 2 changes at Lyon and St. Gervais (a 3rd in Bellegarde on Saturday) that takes "just" 10.5 hours. Probably your best bet, although even slower than the itinerary I suggested. Every other train routing suggested by bahn.de is crazy, with multiple changes and at least 12 hours journey time.
The trip should be bookable as 2 separate tickets on www.voyages-sncf.com, first the TGV portion from Agen to Lyon, then the TER portion from Lyon to Chamonix. The TER ticket can also simply be bought anytime at any train station.
Hope this helps,
Andre
The trip should be bookable as 2 separate tickets on www.voyages-sncf.com, first the TGV portion from Agen to Lyon, then the TER portion from Lyon to Chamonix. The TER ticket can also simply be bought anytime at any train station.
Hope this helps,
Andre
Dec 14th, 2008, 02:07 PM
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Easy: Leave Agen at 6:30AM and be in Chamonix at 5:11PM. See if this works for your date which we don't know what it is.
http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/quer...n?L=profi&
and
www.voyages-sncf.fr
both show the same feasible solutions. On the French site you have to input the A.-L. and the L.-Ch. legs separately, the site is not smart enough to show you the combination. You will make your reservations on the SNCF site of course.
The best one for you - if you can get out of bed in time:
Agen dep 6:30 TGV arr Lyon-Part-Dieu 11:49.
Lyon-P.D. dep regional express 13:04 to St. Gervais-les-Bains arr. 16:25.
Quick switch (timed to be doable) dep St.G.-les-B. 16:32 arr. Chamonix-Montblanc arr. 17:11
With only two switches en route, and arriving long before the end of the day, still in daylight, that is pretty darn good. You even have time for a sit-down lunch in Lyon.
Since we don't know about your date - I randomly picked Jan. 14, 2009. Check it out.
http://plannerint.b-rail.be/bin/quer...n?L=profi&
and
www.voyages-sncf.fr
both show the same feasible solutions. On the French site you have to input the A.-L. and the L.-Ch. legs separately, the site is not smart enough to show you the combination. You will make your reservations on the SNCF site of course.
The best one for you - if you can get out of bed in time:
Agen dep 6:30 TGV arr Lyon-Part-Dieu 11:49.
Lyon-P.D. dep regional express 13:04 to St. Gervais-les-Bains arr. 16:25.
Quick switch (timed to be doable) dep St.G.-les-B. 16:32 arr. Chamonix-Montblanc arr. 17:11
With only two switches en route, and arriving long before the end of the day, still in daylight, that is pretty darn good. You even have time for a sit-down lunch in Lyon.
Since we don't know about your date - I randomly picked Jan. 14, 2009. Check it out.
